Electromechanical device and improved armature therefor



C. N. BREWER Jul 7, 1959' ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE AND IMPROVED ARMATURE THEREFOR Filed March 8, 1957 INVENTOR CLA/RE N- fiREn/ER ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 'ELECTROMECHANICALDEVICEfAND IMPROVED ARMATURE: THEREFOR Claire N.-Brewer,--Indianapolis, Ind., assignor,-by mesne assignments, to InternationalTypographlcal Union of 6- North America, Indianapolis, Ind.

. Application .March 8,. 1957,:Sel'ial No. 644,868

1 Claim. ((1155317-465) 1?his invention'relates -broadlysto electromechanical deces :which.;are-;operative 10183118651115 movement of a apart upon .energization-ofsanelectrical device such. as a :nnagnet-or the'.-like,; and also to armaturesforsuchiderVlCCS.

:The..operation*of movable parts such as rods, links,

--relay armatures and theilike has: heretofore often. been -;eifected,.by.tsolenoids :or; magnets. If. such parts are .,by increasing the size of the solenoid with consequent .increase in initial and operating ,costs. It has also been .found, ,ai1d is well know'n,"that,themovableplungers of ,jsolenoidj devices tend to stick withinthe coil, 'thusfurther .a'dding to .the diific'ultiesof causingrmovementbyjthe use of such devices." In place of solenoid devices it has been proposed to connectanarmature to the bar, link or other ,;-.part; ;which is to be moved and to cause such rnovement sby means; of a rnagnet op eratiyely associated with the armature. In such devices difficulties are caused by the air gap which necessarily exists between the magnet or its core and the part to be moved. It will be understood that if the required movement is large the air gap must be correspondingly large, thus either reducing the force exerted by the magnet on the part to be moved or requiring the provision of a larger, stronger and more expensive magnet.

This invention has had for its general object the provision of electrically operated means for moving any part or device to which movement must be imparted, which means will not be subject to the operating ditficulties and disadvantages of known solenoid and magnet devices which are briefly described above. It has been a particular object of the invention to provide an electrical operating device of the type and character described which will be more effective than known devices in the movement of parts which are separated more than a normal distance from the electrical operating device, thus increasing the effective power of the electrical device and doing away with the necessity to increase its size and cost in order to secure an increase in its effective power.

The invention is described in the following specification and embodiments thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an electromechanical device according to the invention, the parts of the device being shown in the positions and relations occupied before energization of the electrical device;

Fig. 2 is a view which is similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts thereof after energization of the electrical device;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an armature according to the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of a relay of usual type and construction, modified by the provision therein of an armature according to the present invention.

In Figs.1, 2 and 3 of the drawings there is disclosed an electromechanical device comprising a movable part, such as the link or bar 2, which is constantly urged in one direction by a spring 4 and which is adapted and intended 'to be moved in the opposite direction, against the force -of the spring, by operation of an electromagnet 6. The

electromagnet, which may be supported on any fixed part 1 as shown, comprises a coil 8 wound about a core 10 to provide an electromagnet of conventional construction and operation. The exposed end 12 of core 10 is positioned-adjacent, but spaced from, a lug or part 14 which is rigidly connected to the movable part 2.

- Means are provided by this invention for causing movee ment ofmovable part 2 upon energization of the electromagnet 6 and such means comprise an improved armature device. The device comprises two plates 20, 22, each ofwhich may be rectangular in shape and both of which ;are formed of magnetic material.

These plates are -hingedly connected at adjacent edges by a hinge 24, the pin of which has a spring 26 associated with it in known manner to constantly urge the two plates in opposite directions about their hinged connection. One of these --plates 22 is rigidly connected in any suitable manner to a face or part-28of the member 14 in such a position that it is adjacent, spaced from and substantially parallel I to the outer face 30 of the exposed end 12 of the core 10.

The member 14 is normally spaced from the core face 30 and the secondplate 20 of the armature is therefore held by spring 26 in spaced angular relation to plate 22 and in freely abutting but angular relation to the outer face 30ofcore 10. Expressed otherwise, when the parts are in their normal condition with the magnet coil de-ener- 1 :hingeconnection, plate'22 is rigidly mounted on member :14and is. substantially parallel to the outer face30 of core 10, and plate 20 forms an angle with plate 22 and with the outer face 30 of core 10 and abuts such outer face along a line contact at the lower edge of the outer face.

In the operation of the described device to move the member 2, the electromagnet 6 is energized by supplying electrical energy to coil 8 whereupon the plate 20 is immediately pulled into face-to-face abutting engagement with the outer face 30 of core 10, thereby pulling the second plate 22 into substantially face-to-face abutting relation to the plate 20, as shown in Fig. 2, this movement of plates 20, 22 being permitted and caused by the hinged connection of the two plates. The movement of plate 22 into face-to-face abutting engagement with plate 20 pulls member 14 and the connected movable part 2 toward the core 10 against the force of spring 4, thus causing the desired movement of part 2.

A preferred form and construction of the armature provided by the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3, and in this preferred embodiment a strap 40 of non-magnetic material is attached to, or embedded in, the outer surface 42 of plate 20, which is the surface adjacent the outer surface 30 of core 10, and is slightly raised above the plane of surface 42. This strip preferably extends at approximately right angles to the hinge connection between the two plates and midway of the side edges of plate 20. Also, a plug 50 of non-magnetic material is attached to, or embedded in, the inner surface 52 of plate 22, which is the surface adjacent the plate 20, and is slightly raised above the plane of surface 52. The plug 50 is preferably circular in shape and is preferably positioned at the approximate center of plate 22. The strip 40 has two important purposes. Frst, by engaging the end surface 30 of the core 10 it permits the plate to slide against and over the surface 30, thereby preventing freezing of the plate and core surface over their area of contact. In the second place, the raised strip 40, which itself engages the outer surface of the core, causes an air space to be provided between the core and the outer surface 42 of plate 2t), thereby preventing residual magnetism from holding the armature 2h, 22 to the core after deenergizationof the electromagnet. T he non-magnetic plug 54) on the inner surface of plate 22 holds the two plates apart by a slight distance in the operated condition of the parts shown in Pig. 2, thereby again preventing residual magnetism from holding the two plates together after de-energization of the electromagnet. Because of the provision of the non-magnetic strip 46D and the non-magnetic plug 51!) the movable member 2 will be returned to its normal position by spring 4 immediately upon de-energization of electro-magnet 6.

It is believed that the use and operation of the described device will be fully understood by those skilled in the arts to which it pertains. By reason of the provision of the two-part hinged armature between the electromagnet and the movable part to be operated, immediate operation of such part is provided upon energization of the electromagnet, without any sluggish action or sticking of parts. Further, the effective power of the magnet is increased by the use of the armature provided by the invention, thus permitting an electromagnet to exert greater force over a greater distance than would be possible with the use of known armature devices.

It Will be understood by those skilled in the arts to which the invention relates that the armature provided by the invention may be used in any device in which it is desired or necessary to produce motion upon the energization of an electromagnet. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4 as an example, the hinged armature described hereinbefore may be incorporated in a relay of otherwise conventional design and construction with resultant advantages in operation and costs.

My invention consists not only in the provision of a two-part hinged armature but also in the provision of a 4 device including an electromagnet, a part to be moved, and the two-part hinged armature.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the twopart, hinged armature provided by the invention, and two electromechanical devices including such armature, it will be understood that other embodiments and devices, as well as modifications of those disclosed, may be made and practised without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the invention, for the limits of which reference must be made to the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A device for imparting linear movement to a movable part, comprising a fixed electromagnet normally disposed in spaced relation to the movable part and operative when energized to cause the part to move linearly toward the electromagnet, and an armature disposed between and operatively connecting the electromagnet and the movable part, said armature comprising two hinged parts formed of magnetic material, means constantly urging the parts of said armature away from each other about their hinged connection, one of the parts of said armature being rigidly connected to the movable part, and the second of the parts of said armature when the electromagnet is deenergized being angularly related to the first part at their hinged connection and freely engaging and angularly positioned with respect to the electromagnet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,699 Harthan Nov. 28, 1916 2,211,701 McGrath Aug. 13, 1940 2,349,647 Borsseau May 23, 1944 2,491,643 Burks Dec. 20, 1949 2,861,225 Mergen Nov. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 67,970 Switzerland Mar. 30, 1914 841,612 Germany June 16, 1952 

